Nope, Microsoft Edge will not be getting built-in ad blocking
On Thursday, a report from ZDNet claimed Microsoft was planning to build ad blocking right into its new Microsoft Edge web browser. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's not going to happen.
Mashable has confirmed that Microsoft is not building native ad-blocking features into Edge. According to Microsoft, the slide that was circulated at a Build 2016 session was "in reference to work we're already doing in bringing extensions to MS Edge, such as AdBlock and AdBlock Plus" and not referring to built-in ad blocking features.
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The poorly worded slide, which Microsoft's Edge team is in the process of revising, is shown below.
While Microsoft Edge is a very fast web browser, the only major feature it still lacks is extensions support. Other browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari support extensions. Users can install AdBlock Plus to block advertisements from displaying on a website.
The new Brave web browser made headlines earlier this year for its built-in ad blocking features.
Ad blocking, in general, is a touchy topic
Ad blocking, in general, is a touchy topic. Companies like Google that are in the business of selling online ads and the companies that pay for those ads lose when users install ad-blocking extensions. The same goes for online publications like Mashable that rely on advertisements as one way to keep the lights on.
But blocking ads certainly has advantages for users. The Brave browser, for instance, promises up to 60% faster browsing speed by blocking ads. In our hands on with Brave, we noticed ad-heavy websites loaded quicker than on Chrome and Firefox. It also used fewer system resources.
In the era of excessive spam and phishing, people are turning to ad blockers more than ever before. Ad blocking may not be coming in a future Edge update, but extensions will be. You'll just have to install an ad blocker extension yourself.
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Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
